Remember when we all thought that the stay at home orders would last a few weeks? Or maybe a month or two tops? Well, clearly things don’t seem to be returning to normal anytime soon. Kevin and I decided that we could use a little bit of fresh air and a change of scenery. This latest urban walking tour will have us travel all the way from West Hollywood to the sidewalks of Pacoima’s mural mile.
We love the murals of LA. And first discovered this colorful stretch nearly 9 years ago when I surprised Kevin for a helicopter tour of LA. The tour offices were out of Pacoima and I thought, “You know, we should come back here one day and explore?” Well, I guess it took a pandemic, but hey, we FINALLY made it!
If you’re doing this walk, you’ll need to prepare by bringing plenty of water with you. There is zero shade along this route. And while the sidewalks seem mostly flat, there is a slight incline on the return. It is also an “out and back” walk — meaning, once you get to the turnaround point, you’ll retrace all those steps back to your car. Another option is to Uber it back. No judgement! We’ve done it once before on a hike in Paso Robles where we got completely lost. But you won’t want to miss all the incredible food stops along this route, including our pick for the best tamales and tres leches cake.
How Long Does it Take To Do Pacoima’s Mural Mile?
A mural of Elvira, one of the many portraits you’ll see along the way on Pacoima’s mural mile.
One big detail to note — this hike is more than 1 mile. The total loop is 4.3 miles, which takes an average walker around 2 hours to complete. This timing doesn’t take into account any photos or stops to enjoy some snacks along the way. I mean, the eating part of this walking tour is half the fun! In total, it took us around 3 hours. It’s an easy walk, but we were actually pretty exhausted by the end since there is no shade at all and nowhere to sit down along the way.
Where on Earth is Pacoima?
Hitting the streets of Pacoima.
This was the very first question from my husband when I mentioned this walking tour. Pacoima feels worlds away from West Hollywood, yet it’s just 15 miles north (less than a 30 minute drive). Pacoima is actually one of the oldest neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley. It’s where actor Danny Trejo grew up. In fact, the vast majority of the population is Hispanic. We had more than a few people slow down in their cars and watch us. I’m not sure how often two gay guys from West Hollywood venture here for a walking tour on the weekend! But it felt completely safe and everyone was friendly (if not very intrigued by us!).
How do We Walk Pacoima’s Mural Mile?
The start of this trail doesn’t really have a marker. It’s an urban hike after all. So you’ll want to put in the cross section of Van Nuys Boulevard and Glenoaks Boulevard as your starting point. There is plenty of parking along the street. Just read the parking signs to ensure you’re good. We parked along the street near the Vanglen Center (a strip mall on the corner of Van Nuys and Glenoaks Boulevard).
Google Map view of the free street parking to do this walk.
So you’ll need an adventurous spirit to do this walk. This isn’t like hiking through the woods and seeing soaring landscapes and bald eagles. So come with your expectations in check. It’s an urban hike — and it might be pretty gritty at times. For those who like to follow along a map, you can check out the official Pacoima Mural Map here.
You’ll start this journey by walking southwest on Van Nuys Boulevard (towards De Haven Avenue). There are more than 50 murals along the route — with many tucked away behind fences and not completely obvious. But there was no missing the very first mural on the route, located along the side of Pacoima Charter School.
Many of the murals you’ll see on this walk were created by artist Levi Ponce, who made it his personal mission to paint 12 murals in 2012 to help beautify the streets he grew up on. At first, only 3 people volunteered but by the end of the year, it grew to over 100 people. While many of the murals change, one that has remained is the painting of Pacoima actor Danny Trejo.
Danny Trejo is still a resident of the valley. And according to Ponce, it is representative of what can be achieved when you focus on doing something positive. Trejo, who went on to star in many Hollywood blockbuster films, was once a criminal and drug addict. After serving time, he cleaned up and made a choice to do something positive. It’s this driving spirit that helped inspire the artists and volunteers to create the murals you see today.
Continue walking down Van Nuys Boulevard, where you’ll pass several more colorful murals before reaching your first stop for a snack at Me Gusta Gourmet Tamales.
You can’t miss this little shack, located right off Van Nuys Boulevard, with the simple sign, “Gourmet Tamales” on top. I guess it’s a little confusing — since there are several names all over that shack! Several Los Angeles farmer’s markets carry these tamales, but you can’t beat eating them fresh.
Our favorite is the chili cheese, which comes out piping hot in the corn tusk and with the non-spicy green salsa. Best of all? Each tamales is less than $2.50 each!
Reaching the Mid-Way Point of the Mural Walking Tour
Murals line the overhead bridge for the freeway. You’re reaching the turnaround point.
Hopefully the tamale helped keep your energy up, since you’re just nearing the turnaround point for this walk. What’s even more funny is that Kevin typically drove this route every day to work (when he still had to go). Yet, he never saw any of these murals from the car. One thing the pandemic has shown both of us is that there is so much that can be missed from the car versus walking on the streets. We’ve gotten such a great appreciation for where we live. Once you hit Arleta Street, you’ll know that it’s time to turn around and start walking back to your car.
At this point, we recommend crossing Van Nuys to see the murals from a different vantage point on the return. Believe it or not, you’ll notice different murals and details you probably didn’t notice on the first stretch of this walk. As you cruise along the street, we recommend a second food stop at The Family Bakery.
The bakery is located inside a mini strip mall right off Van Nuys Boulevard. You’ll find plenty of cakes and cookies to choose from. In fact, we had a hard time picking just a few things. But one thing you can’t ever go wrong with? The tres leches cake, a not-so-healthy butter cake — that’s soaked in three kinds of milk: evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. Good thing we’ve been doing all this walking, right?
As you wrap up the hike, keep your eyes peeled for our favorite mural. It includes a quote by poet/artist Gloria Anzaldua in both English and Spanish of “I change myself, I change the world.”
It hits on the message of transformation of this area, and how art can help beautify a pretty industrial spot. Nearly 4 hours later, Kevin and I arrived back at our car. Exhausted? Yes, but happy we finally made the trek… even if it took us nearly 9 years!
Looking for more places to explore in LA? Check out all our adventures in Los Angeles here. Want to do more urban hikes? Then check out our round up of the best hidden staircase hikes in Los Angeles.
No Comments, Be The First!